


There's No Return

by copias_gloves



Series: Sathanas, We Are One [8]
Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Coitus Interruptus, Consensual Violence, Degradation (implied), Fluff and Smut, Kink Negotiation, M/M, Open Relationships, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:13:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22271641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/copias_gloves/pseuds/copias_gloves
Summary: As Ember and Mountain explore their new relationship, the universe seems determined to challenge them, in more ways than one.
Relationships: Ember Ghoul/Mountain Ghoul, Ember Ghoul/Multi Ghoul
Series: Sathanas, We Are One [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1211700
Comments: 14
Kudos: 35





	There's No Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ember suggests he and Mountain try something new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The holidays were a Time™️ for me but I'm back with a whole new fic. This one has been outlined for a very long time, and I'm so excited to finally be writing it. Things are gonna get wild! I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Big thanks to @dying_deist and @sushiwestern for beta reading 🖤🖤🖤

Ember straddled the drummer ghoul and kissed him languidly. The two ghouls were enjoying a nice afternoon together, watching movies and loafing about in Mountain’s bed. These would be some of the last days of domestic bliss they had together before they were supposed to be back on the road for another tour, and they intended to savor every available moment that wasn’t spent in the practice room rehearsing the new setlist. The Earth ghoul returned his kisses sweetly, with closed eyes and his large hands caressing the guitarist’s back. As they continued, Ember rolled his hips slightly and whimpered into his lover’s mouth; he was always hungry for more of Mountain, day or night, energized or exhausted, he never seemed to be able to get enough.

The skinny ghoul pulled away and allowed them both to catch their breath while they gazed into each other’s eyes. Between breaths, Ember asked, “You up for some fun?”

“That depends,” Mountain answered, his hands still gently rubbing up and down his back, “What kind of fun are we talking about?”

A smirk played across Ember’s lips. Sometimes he couldn’t tell if Mountain was truly that unassuming or if he just liked to hear the guitarist say that he wanted him in so many words. Whatever the answer was, he had no problem spelling it out as his hands roamed Mountain’s chest and shoulders: “I was thinking fun along the lines of roughhousing a bit, and then seeing where the mood takes us? If you’re up for it.” He always wanted to be attentive to the drummer’s lower libido, and to never pressure him into anything he wasn’t in the mood for.

Mountain smiled back at him. “I could go for a brawl, sure. Should we move somewhere with more space?” His jade green eyes looked around the room, assessing the potential collateral damage if they were to stay here and fight.

“Well, there’s a part two of this request, actually…” Ember trailed off. He nuzzled his nose against Mountain’s neck, unconsciously trying to butter him up.

“And what’s that? You want to have sex after?” the tall ghoul asked. A satisfied exhale escaped his nostrils in response to Ember’s touches, and his long fingers gripped the skinny ghoul’s back to pull him in even closer.

With a chuckle against Mountain’s neck, Ember replied, “That _is_ where I was hoping things would lead, but before that, I wanted to ask—” the guitarist pulled away, sitting back on his lover’s lap to look him in the eye once more, “—how would you feel about… hmm, I’m not sure how I should phrase this…“ The skinny ghoul still struggled with expressing himself. Or maybe it was simply that he was nervous how Mountain would respond. He dropped his gaze and chewed his lip, but the drummer’s thumb was soon there to interrupt him and bring his attention back up.

“Don’t worry, Ember, you can ask me anything, you know that,” Mountain reminded him.

“I know, it’s just… kind of a tricky thing to ask for. Would you be open to some like… trash talking?” Ember nearly winced. “I mean, as part of the roughhousing, would you be willing to call me names and demean me a bit?”

The request did surprise Mountain, judging by the way his eyes widened and he sat back against the pillows. _Shit, maybe it’s too much…_ Ember worried. Immediately the skinny ghoul tried to backtrack: “It was only a thought I had, we don’t have to if—”

“Relax, Ember. Let me think for a moment, please,” the drummer said, interrupting him. Ember nodded and sat quietly on his lap, shifting his hands down to Mountain’s sides. He tried not to worry too much; his lover was prone to taking his time to consider new ideas, not running headfirst into things like Ember normally did. He appreciated that about Mountain, even if it did make him impatient sometimes. After a few minutes of quiet, the tall ghoul finally spoke up: “I want to be open to it, I really do, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”

Ember pouted. “It wouldn’t be anything serious, obviously. Think of it like roleplaying: you get to be the bully. It could be fun! Maybe we can try, and if you really don’t like it, we can stop, how’s that sound?”

But Mountain shook his head, and this time he was the one to drop his gaze. “That’s the thing, Ember… When we spar it’s fun, and it’s a good workout, I love that. But I wouldn’t be comfortable insulting you.”

The skinny ghoul closed his eyes briefly; he gave a silent reminder to himself that this wasn’t a rejection of _him_ , but a rejection of the idea he’d proposed. But they could still discuss it further. Ember reopened his eyes. “Why not? It would be another way to work out some aggression in a controlled environment, right?” He brought a hand up to hold Mountain’s cheek and gently encouraged him to meet his gaze once more. “We love each other, and as long as we make it clear that it’s only when we’re brawling, and that it doesn’t mean anything outside of that…”

Mountain took hold of the hand on his cheek and softly kissed the skinny ghoul’s fingers. His jade eyes looked distantly across the room. He took a deep breath and sighed. “Here’s the thing: I used to be a bully for real.”

Ember’s head tilted incredulously. “You were? But you’re so sweet…” He had a hard time picturing Mountain being seriously mean, which was part of why he’d hesitated to ask for this at all.

“I wasn’t always. As with most bullies, I was bullied first. I was so much taller than other ghouls, taller than my own family even, also skinny and awkward and shy, so I got picked on a lot. At some point, it became too much and I started fighting back. When I figured out how strong I was too… It was bad. It made me confident in the worst way. I was able to fend off my enemies, but also alienated the few friends I had because they were disappointed in me, and they ended up being scared of me too. It was a very lonely time in my life.”

Ember’s expression creased with empathy. His instinct was to question what kind of monster would bully someone as gentle as Mountain in the first place, but he knew all too well from his own experiences that such behavior was par for the course in Hell. Survival of the cruelest, it had seemed at times. “I can relate. And in a way, that’s part of why I’m asking if we can try it.” The Earth ghoul waited for him to continue. “When I first came to the clergy, someone taught me how to work through the trauma I’ve experienced in more constructive ways. That’s where my thing with pain comes from. I turned it into something I can enjoy, and in that way it can’t hurt me anymore.” Ember leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together. “Maybe it can help you too. I think it’s worth trying, whaddya say?”

Mountain’s jade eyes stared back at him for a long while, his mouth downturned into a contemplative scowl. His hands came around to rub Ember’s upper arms. “Okay, Ember. We’ll try.”

Relief crashed powerfully through the skinny ghoul’s body, and he could only properly express how grateful he was by capturing his lover’s lips in a passionate kiss, slow and deep and lovingly clutching the back of the drummer’s head. That’s all he could truly ask for in a partner: that Mountain would try it, and if it worked out, then great, and if not, at least they would know for sure.

They spent a good amount of time discussing which words or phrases were acceptable and which weren’t, so they would be certain of each other’s limits and expectations. Their safe word and gesture was well established by then, but even still, Ember made it a point to reiterate them for good measure. Once they were both in full agreement, their scuffle could finally begin, starting with Mountain flinging the skinny ghoul off the bed and sending him sprawling across the floor.

After they warmed up a bit, Ember was surprised by how easily the tall ghoul rattled off a litany of insults amidst their usual punches and grappling. It was undeniably thrilling for Ember, and yet at the same time, he began to see why Mountain had been hesitant to agree to it at first. The Earth ghoul could sound so unexpectedly cruel, and although he was delivering precisely what Ember had requested, he was almost too convincing. While Ember never felt that he was unsafe or that Mountain meant any of it for real, it did catch him off guard several times, leaving him open for powerful blows from the drummer. Soon enough, the skinny ghoul was quite battered and bloody, and Mountain was the one to call an end to the skirmish when he noticed Ember’s response time lagging slightly.

Ember was laid out on his back, panting, sweaty, blood dripping down his neck from a split in his chin caused by a particularly strong uppercut, along with a pleased grin across his face. Mountain sat beside him, even more sweaty but with far fewer bruises and scrapes, likewise catching his breath, his expression calm. The skinny ghoul reached over and squeezed his lover’s thigh. “Fuck, that was great, seriously. What did you think?” His cool grey eyes were heavy-lidded as he gazed at the tall ghoul, doing his best to keep his arousal at bay for now.

Mountain gave a half smile and patted Ember’s hand. “I think I need more time to decide how I feel about it. Sorry, it’s just a lot to process—”

“That’s okay! Please don’t apologize for needing time to figure it out,” Ember stressed, lacing his fingers together with Mountain’s. “Take all the time you need.”

The tall ghoul nodded appreciatively. He looked Ember over, then returned to lock eyes with him again. “I know you wanted something after too, but I’m not on the same level right now,” Mountain informed him. “Why don’t you see if someone else is up for it?” he suggested.

Although they’d agreed to that arrangement from the start, Ember had not yet slept with anyone else since the two of them had made their feelings for each other clear. He was content in letting their affection for each other take top priority, and expressing that affection in other ways aside from sex. The emotional openness of their relationship was refreshing for him, and he hadn’t felt like he was missing out in the slightest.

But since Mountain was suggesting it, and he was terribly riled up, Ember thought that maybe it was time to take him up on the offer. “I might go see what Multi’s up to, if you’re cool with that.” Maybe Mountain didn’t want to know who, but he thought it best to be as forthright as possible about it.

Mountain nearly laughed, an easy smile spread across his face. “I told you I’m cool with it. Whomever you prefer.” He squeezed Ember’s hand in his before releasing his hold and getting to his feet. He bent down to help the skinny ghoul off the floor too. “You go have fun,” he added.

Ember swayed on his feet slightly, dizzy still from the effects of their fight and his aroused state. He smiled up at the Earth ghoul. “I love you,” he reminded him.

“I love you too. Go on, don’t lose your boner,” Mountain replied with a smirk.

Ember chuckled and gave the drummer a quick swat on the ass before he left the room to go find Multi.

* * *

“Open up, hot stuff. I hope you’re not busy…” Ember called through Multi’s door as he knocked eagerly. _And if you’re not busy, you’re about to be_. He didn’t need to wait long before Multi opened the door. Too excited to hold back, the skinny ghoul practically pounced on his bandmate, throwing his arms around the other ghoul and kissing him enthusiastically. Multi’s body stiffened in surprise for a moment, but quickly relaxed into the kiss and returned the same wordless sentiment. A good chunk of time had passed since their last time together, and it seemed they’d both been missing each other more than expected.

It wasn’t until the two ghouls pulled apart to catch their breath that Ember noticed they weren’t alone. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed some movement and turned to see Rain sitting near the foot of Multi’s bed, watching the two of them with some interest. The exact nature of his interest, however, was unclear; Rain’s stoic expression could have been read as judgement just as much as it could have been curiosity. Whatever the case was, it was clear that he and Multi had been in the middle of a discussion, and Ember had interrupted.

Before Ember could even ask, the lanky ghoul stood up and started toward the door. “I’ll leave you two alone,” he announced. As he passed by, Rain gave Multi a pointed look, and the briefest nod to Ember. He closed the door on his way out.

“What was that about?” Ember asked immediately.

“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it,” Multi insisted. Ember didn’t buy that in the slightest, but didn’t have time to push the issue before the other ghoul presented a different question. “What about Mountain? Aren’t you two… a thing now? Should you be here, like this?” Multi’s arms were still around Ember, but his hold had loosened, as if prepared to let go at any moment. His eyes wandered over Ember’s recent injuries, but he said nothing about them.

Ember let out an impatient huff. He didn’t want to have to explain it in detail and lose the feisty mood he was in, so he summarized as quickly as he could. “Yes, Mountain and I are a ‘thing’, but when he’s not in the mood, I can fuck whoever I want. And right now,” Ember gripped the front of Multi’s shirt in both hands and ran his tongue up the other ghoul’s neck to his ear, “I wanna fuck _you_.”

Multi shivered slightly and closed his eyes. A half-formed thought glinted in Ember’s mind: _Is it just me or does he seem hesitant for some reason? I thought he’d be chill…_ But his fears were soon squashed as the other ghoul pressed their bodies together and turned his head to capture Ember’s lips with his once more. Relief came first, then the skinny ghoul’s lust returned in full force. Together in a flurry of groping hands and mingling tongues they tottered over to the bed and tumbled over onto it. 

No matter how much time had passed since the festival, their desire for each other hadn’t waned in the slightest; they feverishly tore at each other’s clothes until they were both naked, grinding and panting between deep, hungry kisses. Ember flipped Multi onto his back and pinned his arms above his head, and with a satisfied smirk he admitted, “I’ve missed this.”

Multi gazed up at him, breathing hard through parted lips, and replied, “Missed you too.”

No other words were needed, or perhaps neither of them dared to elaborate.

Soon they were tangled together, grunting and coated in sweat, reveling in the pleasure of each other’s bodies. Between the residual ache from his scuffle with Mountain and the intoxicating warmth of Multi on his cock, Ember was in a state of bliss the likes of which he thought he might never experience. He buried his face in the other ghoul’s neck as he thrusted and moaned as Multi’s strong hands gripped Ember tighter against him.

A faint knocking sounded at the door, and both ghouls slowed their movements to look toward it. “Expecting someone?” Ember raised an eyebrow. He couldn’t deny that he felt some pride at the idea of fully distracting Multi from whatever plans he might have had.

“Not that I know of,” Multi replied.

The door opened and Mountain slipped into the room quickly, then shut the door again. “Hey, sorry to interrupt, just wanted to ask Ember something real quick,” the drummer explained. He was eating a small bag of potato chips, perfectly nonchalant, no more bothered than if he had walked in on them playing cards.

Underneath Ember, Multi tensed up, obviously stressed to have Mountain there unannounced. Ember rolled his hips for a slow thrust to try and keep the mood going despite the interruption, chuckling softly in amusement. “What’s up?” the skinny ghoul asked. He smiled at his boyfriend, so very grateful that Mountain had no qualms about him getting laid.

“I was about to start making dinner, are you in the mood for anything in particular?” The tall ghoul munched noisily on his potato chips and tilted his head to listen.

“Hmm,” Ember mused aloud, still slowly rocking his hips to keep Multi feeling good while he considered his options. “Can you make that stew from before? It was some funky meat but it was so delicious…”

“Oxtail stew? Sure! I’ll make it spicy again too. Double rice?” Mountain knew the answer already, but the fact that he asked anyway was cute and Ember appreciated it.

“Yep. Thanks, you’re the best.” Ember blew the drummer a kiss.

“Great, I’ll get started now, since it takes a while. You two enjoy yourselves. Sorry again for barging in, Multi,” Mountain gave a little apologetic wave and made his way out of the room as quickly as he’d entered.

Once they were alone again, Ember and Multi picked up where they left off. With the added hint of getting “caught” setting the two ghouls off, the brief hiatus only meant they got to work each other up again, and it wasn’t long before both of them were moaning and cumming in near tandem.

The post-orgasmic haze was like a dense fog in the air; Ember felt so thoroughly satiated, and as they laid together for a while to calm back down, the fact that he was fortunate enough to have this kind of arrangement washed over him. 

Multi was quiet as well. Suspiciously quiet. While Ember wanted to know what might be on his mind, he also stubbornly refused to start that conversation. _He can speak up and tell me if there’s a problem._ Besides, maybe he was just imagining things and nothing was wrong at all. Maybe things were so nice that Ember was only creating problems out of nothing because that’s what he was used to. Eventually, he grew restless.

“I should take a shower. I’ll see you around, hm?”

Multi hummed. “Yeah, you will.” He gave a lopsided smile.

Ember paused for another moment, giving him the opportunity to speak up one more time, but the other ghoul remained quiet. _Can’t say I didn’t give him a chance_. There was no sense in worrying about something he didn’t know for sure, so the skinny ghoul gave Multi a final peck on the lips before slipping out of the bed. He tugged his clothes back on and made his exit.

 _I hope it’s nothing._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler alert: it's not nothing lol
> 
> Thank you for reading! Follow me on tumblr @copias-gloves or twitter @copiasgloves for updates! 🖤🖤🖤


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